Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijan’s top cleric visiting Russia on Tuesday requested the Patriarch of Russian Orthodox Church Kirill to facilitate repatriation of the dead body of the Azerbaijani soldier killed in June in a frontline shooting with Armenian troops, the Caucasus Muslims Office (CMO) said.

During the meeting with the CMO chairman, Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazada, Patriarch Kirill pledged he would do his utmost to assist the handover.

Warrant officer Mubariz Ibrahimov, 22, displayed outstanding heroism during the clashes on the contact line between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops on June 18-19, single-handedly killing four Armenian soldiers and wounding four others. His corpse has not been returned to this day. President Ilham Aliyev has conferred Azerbaijani National Hero Award to the soldier.

The CMO chairman thanked the Russian patriarch for supporting Azerbaijan’s efforts to find a peaceful settlement to its long-standing conflict with Armenia over Upper (Nagorno) Karabakh, Russian media reported.

"This is of utmost importance for our nation, for all Muslims," Pashazada said.

Pashazada arrived in Russia on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the CIS Inter-religious Council’s leaders at the Russian Orthodox Church residence in Moscow.